To the best of my knowledge, nobody involved with the Pittsburgh Steelers has ever as of yet used the ‘r’ word, retirement, when discussing the inevitability of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s future. We all know by now that he is going to be retiring, any week now, but perhaps in some sort of deference, the actual word has been entirely avoided, even from reporters, within that discussion.
Earlier today, for example, head coach Mike Tomlin was asked if the organization was working under the assumption that Roethlisberger would not be playing next year. “We are proceeding with that assumption”, he acknowledged, going on to discuss the other quarterbacks on the roster for candidacy, Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins.